


Mistaken Identity

by ellerkay



Category: Good Omens (TV)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-04
Updated: 2019-09-04
Packaged: 2020-10-06 17:30:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 709
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20510792
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ellerkay/pseuds/ellerkay
Summary: Warlock finds one of the caterers at his eleventh birthday party oddly familiar.





	Mistaken Identity

There was something off about one of the caterers. He’d stood out to Warlock the second the team arrived and started setting up for the party. It wasn’t just his dark glasses and the odd red of his hair – although they were distinctive – it was the way he kept checking his watch. And he wasn’t doing anything at all to help the rest of the group, who hadn’t seemed to notice his idleness. And when the magician arrived, the caterer made a beeline for him and they had a short conversation in furious whispers.

There was something strangely familiar about the caterer, too.

Warlock finally made up his mind to go ask the question that had been niggling at him since he’d first caught sight of the caterer. The man was typing away on his phone and it took a moment for him to notice Warlock.

“Can I help you?” he asked, voice thick with sarcastic deference.

“Do you have a sister?” Warlock asked.

Whatever the caterer had been expecting, it clearly hadn’t been that. He shoved his phone in his pocket.

“No,” he said.

“Oh,” Warlock said, trying to keep the disappointment from his voice. “It’s just that you remind me of…of someone I knew. My old nanny, from when I was a kid. You look a lot like her, and – “

“Well, I’m not her,” the caterer snapped. “How could I be?”

Warlock blinked. “No, I only thought maybe she was your sister,” he said. “Or cousin, or something…I never heard from her again after she left, and I guess I was hoping maybe you knew her.” 

The caterer was staring at him.

“Sorry,” Warlock muttered, embarrassed. “Never mind. It was stupid.” He started to turn away.

“You miss her?” the caterer said, sounding – for some reason – surprised.

Warlock hesitated, but turned back. He shrugged. “I don’t know,” he said, reluctant to admit sentimentality to this stranger. “She was pretty nice. She used to slip me candy, and sing me to sleep. She told me I could do anything I wanted with my life.” He stopped. He hadn’t meant to say so much. “Sorry. Obviously, you don’t know her. I’ll let you get back to – ” He waved vaguely at the catering tables. “All this.”

“Young Warlock, isn’t it?” the caterer asked, before Warlock could make his escape. Warlock sighed internally and nodded.

“Well,” the caterer said slowly. “Wherever she is, I’m sure your nanny would be proud of you. And would still think you capable of – ” He hesitated. “Oh, all sorts of things.”

Warlock nodded. That was the sort of stuff grown-ups said to try and make you feel better. The caterer nodded back.

“Crowley!” called the magician from across the tent. Warlock and the caterer turned their heads to see the magician struggling with a rabbit that clearly had no interest in getting out of its cage. Warlock rolled his eyes and looked back at the caterer.

For the first time, he saw the little snake tattoo on the side of the caterer’s face. It was very distinctive and identical to the one his nanny used to have. He remembered tracing it with his finger when he was little. Warlock’s eyes widened.

“This is completely ridiculous,” the caterer called back, but he started off towards the magician anyway.

“Nanny!” Warlock called after the caterer’s retreating back. The man turned automatically, then froze.

Warlock couldn’t keep the grin off his face, but he shook his head. “Just kidding,” he said. The caterer hesitated, but then continued on his way to help the magician.

That, at least, was one mystery solved. Warlock knew about how sometimes women could become men or vice versa and how they might not want anyone to know. It explained why Nanny never visited, and couldn’t admit who she – he – was now.

Warlock felt quite happy. It was like a birthday gift to see Nanny again, no matter what he looked like. He put his hand in his pocket for his phone and found that a piece of candy had appeared in there along with it, just like used to happen when Nanny was pleased with him. He smiled as he unwrapped it and popped it into his mouth.

Best birthday party ever.


End file.
